Suspended rotary fan.



No. 689,098. Patented Wee. l7, I90. R. LAMB.

SUSPENDED BUTARY FAN.

(Application filed Sept. 4, 1901.)

(No Model.)

in: NORRIS PEI'ERS (20., pnorcmmoq WASHINGTON. o. c.

UNITED STATES REESE LAMB,

PATENT @FFICE.

OF PARIS, TEXAS.

SUSPENDED ROTARY FAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,098, dated December 17, 1901.

Application filed September 4, 1901. Serial No. 74.299. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REECE LAMB, a citizen of the United States of'America, residing at No. 304 Bonham street, in the city of Paris, in the county of Lamar and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suspended Rotary Fans, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement is directed to a construction of rotary fans of the suspended type whereby the usual suspending-brackets are dispensed with and the suspension of the fanpropelling shaft effected entirely within a tie pending tube within the interior of which the fan-propelling gearing is arranged, rendering the device compact and utilizing the arrangement of the gear, whereby the gear itself is the means of bracing and steadying the depending tube within which the fandriven shaftis'suspended. In these particulars the precise improvement will be set out in the claims hereto appended, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 shows in section the rotary fan in its use as suspended from the ceiling of a room. Fig. 2 shows in enlarged section that end of the depending tube in which the fan carrying and rotating shaft is suspended and within which the gearing is arranged by which the fan-shaft is rotated. Fig. 3 shows a like section of the lower end of the depending tube and the bearing therein of the fancarrying shaft. Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on the line y y of Fig. 2, showing the open side of the depending tube for the arrangement therein of the gearing for rotating the fan shaft. Fig. 5 shows a cross-section taken on the line 03 0c of Fig. 2 and the ball-bear ing cup by which the fan-shaft is suspended within the depending tube. Fig. 6 shows in side view the tapering cup for the ball-bear ings whereby the cups are firmly seated by being driven within the walls of the depending tube.

A tube 1, open at both ends, its end screwthreaded at 2, and having one side of its walls cut away so as to form an opening 3 in its circumference below its screw-threaded end, is screwed into a cap-plate 4:, which itself is firmly bolted to the ceiling or other support from which the tube depends, as in Fig. 1. Within this tube at each end is seated a cup 5, not upon a shoulder on the walls of the tube, but driven in and firmly bound upon the walls. For this purpose the cups are flaring, as in Fig. 6, so that in being driven in its walls are compressed, and thereby firmly bound within the tube, as in Figs. 2 and 3. The inner walls of the cups are concave to receive ball bearings 6. Each cup is centrally pierced to receive the fanpropelling shaft. At its upper end this shaft terminates in a screw end and has loosely fitted thereon a sleeve 8, adapted to form a suspending-seat for the shaft upon the balls. At its lower end the shaft is reduced in diameter and is centrally supported at this reduced part 9 by the ball-bearings, as in Fig. 3.

While the ball-bearings and sleeve 8 form the suspending wear parts, a nut 10 on the screw end of the shaft maintains the sleeve in place on the shaft and on the balls, so that the sleeve, the nut, and the shaft will rotate together upon the ball-bearings.

At its lower end' the shaft which extends outside of the tube has fixed thereon a screwcoupling 11, into which the fan-blades are screwed, while at its upper end below the cup-seat the shaft has fixed thereon a bevelpinion 12, which, as seen, is within the de pending tube.

For rotating the suspended shaft under a high speed a large bevel-gear 13 engages the bevel-pinion 12 and for this purpose stands within the opening 3 in the wall of the depending tube. The shaft 14, which carries this large bevel-gear, is mounted in hangers 15, depending from the ceilin g, andwhich are provided with ball-bearings.

A spring-motor 20 may be used to drive the horizontal shaft; but the arrangement of the latter, its gear within the side opening of the depending tube and the shaft-driving pinion also within the tube, makes the latter the' hanger for the fan-shaft, the closure 'for said shaft, and the closure for the gear by which the shaft is rotated. This is a feature of my improvement.

It will be noted that the shoulders .16 16 of the power-driven shaft by their engagement with the hangers prevent endwise movement of the shaft. It will also be noticed, looking at Figs. 1 and 2, that the gear of this shaft may be made to engage,by the retaining-plates tube is inverted, and the shaft moved out to allow the balls to be placed into the cup around the reduced part 9 of the shaft. The latter is then drawn into the tube to seat the ballhearings, as in Figs. 1 and 3. The ball-bearings are then placed into the upper cup, the sleeve 5 put on the shaft upon the balls, and the nut 10 driven upon the sleeve. The tube is then screwed into the screw-cap plate 4. The power-driven shaft is then mounted and its gear engaged with the fan-suspending 7 gear. Obviously the engagement of the large gear at diameter points 17 with the ends of the opening in the side of the tube may be made in any suitable manner, as by extensions from the tube itself, and in erecting the fan its parts may be assembled in any convenient way.

I claim 1. In a rotary fan, the combination of th tubular hanger having cup-seats and ballbearings therein at each end anda side opening below the upper cup-seat, with a fan-shaft, means for suspending its upper end within the hanger, a bevel-gear on the shaft within the hanger below such suspending means, a horizontal shaft having a bevel-gear mounted to rotate within the open side of the hanger and engaging the bevel-gear of the fan-shaft, and means for driving the horizontal shaft.

2. In a rotary fan, the combination of the tubular hanger having an opening in its side wall below its point of suspension, a bevelgear on the shaft within the hanger below such suspending means, a horizontal shaft having a bevel-gear mounted to rotate within the open side of the hanger and engaging the bevel-gear of the fan-shaft, plates or braces at each end of the hanger-opening engaging the outer side of the power-driven gear whereby to brace the hanger and maintain the engagement of the gear, and means for driving the power-driven shaft.

3. In a rotary fan and in combination with a tubular hanger, havinga side opening, a fanshaft suspended entirely within said hanger, and bevel-gear arranged within the hanger at its side opening for rotating the fan-shaft.

I11 testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

4 REECE LAMB. Witnesses:

A. E. H. JOHNSON, GUY I-I. JOHNSON. 

